Author's Notes: Seems like forever huh? Sorry, I'm really busy and all. I'll really try to get these up sooner. Anwyay, enjoy the meeting. Oh, and review please? It'd be ever so delightful.
Thanks to nEo-cHaN, Misty Ishida, MoonEnvoy, sakura blossoms, shadowed angel, Ezza, Sarri-chan, zak.
Disclaimer: Digimon is not mine; it's Toei's and Saban's and all those other big multimillion conglomerates that give us barely satisfactory dubs and stuff.
ReoccurrenceChapter 6: Knitting
Matt listened to the discussion without interest, nodding whenever someone asked something of him. Around him were the new digidestined, planning, arguing, doing whatever they were doing. He regarded the new ones lightly; they had that same impossible destiny but seemed too young and too far removed for him to relate to. He stopped momentarily at Daisuke. It was a painful resemblance that he had with Taichi, though Tai was certainly a little smarter than Davis. It was times like this, half listening to talk about the Digital world, half dealing with some impossible, impending crisis that he found himself thinking of his life, and how nothing seemed to quite make sense.
It'd been four years since Tai died, four years since he came to the conclusion that he loved him. Four years and he hadn't moved on nor even accepted for once that maybe he should just let the past go. It was ridiculous to keep reliving it; even Hikari made her peace a while back. Yamato scowled at himself, at his stupid weakness. He was supposed to lead a normal life, killing time with his band, keeping up with his studies, making friends. But he never quite found what he lost, always elusive prey. Though he'd never admit it, with Taichi there was a sense that everything would turn out fine, some kind of blinding optimism, reassurance. But that was gone now, had been for four years…
And the stupid thing was that he and Tai weren't even on friendly terms when he died. They were adversaries that never moved past short exchanges of hurtful words. Yamato vaguely wondered if Tai hadn't died if they would've been able to tolerate each other as friends. But it was useless to wonder about things that could never happen and Matt forced himself to listen back to the conversation.
Daisuke and Takeru were arguing over the next course of action. The goggled boy was pointing at the computer screen. "If we go open a digiport in that sector we can catch him by surprise."
TK shook his head. "But then we'd be jumping into something before we even knew what was going on. We should open a digiport in the next sector over and get an idea of what we're up against."
They fixed their eyes on Yamato for the decision who smirked back, unable to resist seeing himself years ago. "Why don't you guys have a vote?"
Ultimately, by the difference of Iori they decided to take TK's plan, much to the dismay of Davis who sulked away from the group. It was all the same as before, and Yamato stood up hastily, shaking the disagreeable thoughts away and slinging his guitar onto his back. "If that's all… I'll meet you guys in the computer room after school tomorrow."
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The digital landscape around them blew in its dusty solitude. Large craters and ravines seemed to splotch and vein across the ground. In the distance the black outline of a control spire was rising. Daisuke had his goggles over his eyes, screening him from the flying dust. Everyone else had their heads slightly ducked and hands like visors against their foreheads. The new leader pointed off to the distance. "Let's go."
TK, Kari and Miyako flew off ahead while Daisuke, Iori and Yamato rode their digimon. The work site was fast approaching, and the terrain grew even more violent, sizzling in the overbearing heat only a desert could sustain. The point of the spire lay at an angle with the sky, still being hoisted by the worker Meramon. With wordless commands, the flying digidestined went to sever the ropes, the thick cords coming away with whipping snaps. The black obelisk came crashing down with a loud roar as the Meramon assumed a defensive position. Their fire lashed out into the sky and forked along the ground with a crackling sound.
Yamato stood slightly behind everyone else, watching Weregarurumon and the other champion forms fight the Meramon. Each attack seemed to unleash a torrent of heat and wind, blowing ample amounts of dust and sand into the air. Each breath hung thick with debris so that he had to cover his face with his arms. He could barely make out Weregarurumon's form striking out against the fire digimon. "Go for the spire! Go for…" He choked on the airborne sand and backed up, the fighting seeming to only get worst. His eyes focused solely ahead to the battle, making sure the rest of the digidestined were safe. Fire brushed the sky and scorched the land, but he could see the others safely removed from the action. They were backing up too in the face of the sandstorms and raging heat.
There was a loud rumbling as something happened, and Yamato's vision clouded over in the wake of a large explosion. He watched anxiously for any sign of the digimon, but the incoming debris laden shockwaves threatened to blind and choke him. He backed up again, face shielded behind his hands. A second explosion followed the first, another flash and ripple of heat. Their combined power rose up against him as he tried to duck away from it. The force of the displaced wind, however, easily overpowered him and knocked him off balance. It was with a quick, frightening realization that he found that he was on the edge of the crater, tipping off balance.
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Taichi crouched on the rim of a crater, using his small telescope to scan the land for the spire. Along the western edge of his vision were the black ringed Meramon raising it. His face set as he scanned the side expanse of land between them, a flat sunken plane of rocks and desert weeds. "Agumon, go along the rim of the crater; I'm going to try to go straight through the center. Be careful." The small dinosaur digimon nodded and hastily started to pick through the scattered rocks as he made his way on the edge of the crater. Tai looked down to the bottom resolutely, and started to climb down, skidding and pulling at stringy plants to try and slow his descent. He slipped the last few yards and tumbled down, smacking into the bottom with a flurry of dust.
He slowly lifted himself up, dusting himself off, scowling momentarily and ran off toward the western rim. The heat bore down with a terrible intensity as he continued to sprint across the flat ground, raising a low laying flume of dust as he went. Sweat dripped freely down the side of his face, mingling with week old dirt and dust, gathering into dark droplets at the point of his chin.
The far rim was approaching, rising above him. He came to a stop at the start of the incline, panting and resting on his knees. He looked up to the rim and gave a heavy sigh. It wouldn't be an easy time getting up there but he had to if he wanted to fulfill his mission. He lugged himself to his feet and grabbed a rocky ledge and started to hoist himself up the hill slope, the treacherous footholds slowly coming loose under his weight. He tried desperately not to fall and break his neck.
There were sounds above him, getting closer and louder, thunderous like an avalanche. He quickly let go of his handholds and jumped back down to the solid ground, fearing the giant rocks that probably were on the lip of the crater waiting to rain down. Instead, two energy discharges flew overhead, scattering some pebbles and sand. There were voices somewhere up there too, too faint to be understood but getting louder. Another crash crashed from above, the groaning rumble and dusty powder descending like a dry mist. A hazy figure appeared on the lip of the crater, facing away from Taichi. The form seemed to be pushed right to the edge, shouting some order or another. Another wave of rocks and sand swept the land into the crater, carrying the blurry figure with it.
Tai watched in mild horror as the person skidded down the rocky slope, and even more horror as he realized that the figure was heading right for him. Tai could only throw up his hands before the other person crashed hard into him. They both tumbled onto the flat base of the crater, splayed out into crumpled heaps. Taichi coughed out some sand and wiped his face of plant and rock debris. He tested his limbs and was relieved nothing ached too much. The other figure a few feet off didn't look as well off, on his back and heaving deep breaths. The sand had swept up Yamato's hair and various scratches on his face bled.
Tai felt his stomach churn, anxiety overtaking him. He desperately wanted to go find Agumon and leave but Yamato was injured and he couldn't leave him. With mincing steps, light and shuffling, Tai made his way to Yamato's body. He carefully shook Matt's shoulders, eliciting a pained moan from the sandy blonde. "Hey, hey. Are you okay?"
Matt groaned in pain as his body kept telling him that it hurt. He spat out sand and tried to roll over onto his side. Two hands had gripped themselves onto his shirt and were shaking him. He let his eyes fall open, blinking at the sudden onslaught of colour and light. A person swam in his view, bleary and indefinite, the glint of goggles. The guy was asking if he was okay. "Ugh, yeah fine, Daisuke."
"Who's Daisuke?" Taichi shook his head dismissively, abstractedly wiping away the blood from Yamato's face and trying to get the other boy up into a sitting position. "Is anything broken?"
Matt winced as he felt himself being lifted up; his back was sore and his head still spun. His vision had otherwise started to clarify and he found himself staring into a stranger's face. There was a familiarity there, the wild hair, the brown eyes, the goggles, the face. It was with a trembling anger that he recognized it as Taichi's face. With a swift move, ignoreing his pains, he threw himself forward, pinning the other boy to the ground. "How dare you?!"
Taichi found himself on his back with a sudden weight over his body. Matt had gripped his shirt and was banging him hard against the ground. Rocks crashed themselves against the back of his head, as he struggled to get the enraged boy off him. "What the hell? Get off!" He tried to use his hands to break Yamato's hold but the blonde had a deathgrip. Tai's head fuzzed with another slam against the ground. He pushed futilely at Matt's shoulders, his legs trapped underneath the other boy. "Stop it!"
Yamato had never felt as angry in his life as he did at that moment. The Kaiser had simply gone too far. "Change back! You have no right to take his form. Change back!" Stubbornly 'Tai' kept struggling against him. "Change back!" Matt slammed the other boy against the ground again. He was oblivious to the small streak of red blood that had coloured the ground underneath 'Tai's' head.
Tai blinked hazily, moving his hands up to Matt's neck, straining to do something, anything to get him off. A blue tinge was starting to colour his vision. "Stop it!" Vaguely he heard Agumon's pepper breath attack off to his side, and an intense heat pass over both boys' heads. The grip on his shirt loosened and he quickly flung Matt off of him, rolling away and clutching the back of his head as he tried to sit up. The land spun around him, in a dizzying display.
Yamato was distracted by an Agumon that had appeared a few feet off. He felt himself hit the ground as 'Taichi' escaped his grasp. The Agumon ran up to 'Tai', eying Matt closely. The dinosaur digimon finally spoke, in that same kind of familiar voice that made Matt wince. "What are you doing Matt?"
Yamato almost sneered; the Bakemon were apparently better trained than he thought they'd be. "I can ask you the same thing Bakemon."
Taichi spoke up, gingerly touching the back of his head. "Bakemon? We're not Bakemon. Look." He extended his right hand, a smear of his blood on his fingers.
Yamato didn't look convinced, wiping the same red liquid from the corner of his mouth. "Trying to pass off my blood as your own? Change back to your regular forms."
Tai was aggravated, suddenly knowing with a hysterical reality why he had probably argued and fought with Matt so much when they were in the Digital World. Yamato was just too stubborn and distrustful for his own good. "Damn it, Matt! I'm not a fucking Bakemon. It's my blood. I'm bleeding thanks to you slamming me against the ground I don't know how many times."
All three stood there tense as the battle warred on above them. There was a final clang before a lengthy silence. Eventually Agumon stepped toward Matt. "Come on Yamato; just please trust us. We're not Bakemon."
Yamato felt himself give way a little. He forced that rational voice in his head back, ignoring the constant thought that told him Tai was dead. Besides, the Agumon seemed harmless enough, with his paws held up in the air. Matt took a few steps nearer, keeping a sharp eye on both of them.
Taichi didn't know quite what to do. He held his hand out, an embarrassed flush overtaking him. Was this even remotely right etiquette-wise? To give a handshake to the guy that was going to kill you a second before? "Hi?"
Matt looked at the offered hand, red streaks browning on the fingers. It was blood. He took the hand in his and gave a tentative shake. He didn't know what he was expecting but certainly not to be blinded by an orange light. When he opened his eyes, Tai was inspecting something glowing around his neck. Yamato squinted harder, sucking in a strange choking breath as he realized it was a crest, Tai's crest. He sought and met Taichi's gaze. In a state of emotional paralysis, he took another disbeliving step closer. "Taichi?"
Tai froze, the sudden seriousness of the situation sweeping up to meet him. This was that meeting that he felt so inadequately prepared for. He wanted to run, but scowled at himself instead; he was supposed to be Courage after all, right? "Yeah."
Matt hugged Tai tightly briefly exhaling a shaky breath. Nothing seemed to add up right and his head spun with everything that had changed in the span of a few minutes. He felt happy, deep down celebrating, but buried it beneath the fear and indiscriminate emotions that swarmed his senses. So he remained hugging Taichi woodenly, until a chorus of voices came down the slope from above. Yamato broke away from the embrace, standing rigidly and blinking, still fazed. His mind still ran with contradictions. Taichi was dead, he was dead. But he was right in front of him.
The rest of the digidestined were picking their way carefully down the slope, jabbering. Davis was the first down and the loudest, cheering their victory against the Kaiser. "We got him good!" He stopped short when he saw Tai. "Who're you with Yamato?"
Takeru was the next one down, turning to see what Davis was talking about. His eyes widened themselves almost unnaturally, staring at Tai's face. He turned to his brother, stumbling his words horribly. "It's not… It's not w-who I think it is right?" Matt wet his dry lips and remained frozen.
"Who is it?" Davis was looking from one brother to the other and then to the stranger. His face was exasperated and annoyed. "Tell me!"
No one spoke for a while until Kari yelled from above. She was about a foot from the ground, steadying herself by gripping some desert vegetation. "What's going on?" She turned her head to take a quick look at the ground before taking the leap. "Why the silence?" She stopped in midstep when she looked at Tai. Her mouth opened ineffectually a few times, blinking as if she was seeing some visual aberration. "W-Who? How?"
Taichi was distinctly nervous under Hikari's intense gaze. This was his sister that he hadn't seen for four years; this was the closest person to him besides his parents. And all he could do was look pathetically uneasy and shift his weight from foot to foot. He tried to put on a big smile, but it ended up a half awkward gesture. "Hikari…" He didn't know quite what happened but she was instantly bonded around his middle, hugging him brutally. "Hey, hey." This time he smiled genuinely lifting Kari's tear streaked face up to look at him. "Don't cry, ne?"
Kari sniffed loudly, crying into Tai's shirt, muffling mindless half words. This was something that only happened in dreams, and usually this part never came. Instead she'd wake up, groan and bang her head against the pillows, and get ready for school. But this was real, he was solid and tall, and standing in front of her.
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The setting sun saw the group sitting Indian style in a half circle and listening to Taichi as he explained what had happened all those years ago. Everyone had that same grave expression on their faces, a cross between sympathy and awe. To be left behind four years ago and to meet up when he didn't even remember his past. It all seemed out of some impossible soap opera plotline. Tai watched those around him; they were all strangers. The new digidestined he didn't know; the old ones had changed so much, especially Takeru and Hikari whose pictures in Gennai's files were like a whole different set of people. Yamato had changed too, gotten taller and had different hair, but with the same expression of indifference. Tai was slightly uneasy at that; he'd never gotten along with Yamato apparently and he felt like he had wanted to, if only for the sake for sparing himself some bruises. It was just unnerving how Yamato stared at him with that penetrating gaze that held nothing but emptiness. "And here I am…"
There was silence around him, faces staring at him like some wonder of the world. Hikari for one was beaming with tearful eyes, her hands squeezing her brother's. She looked at him strangely for a moment, noticing the subtle changes that had happened in four years. He had changed a lot in four years; he was taller, though he was always taller than she. He still had on those ridiculous goggles only they didn't seem so oversized anymore. "To-san and Kaa-san will die when they see you."
Tai's smile faltered a little; his mouth went dry. "Uh, I don't think…I mean, isn't it a little early? I don't think I'm ready…" He winced when he felt Agumon's claw nudge him sharply.
Agumon gave Tai a disapproving look. "Why don't you go for a night and try it out? Sora and the others would want to see you, too."
"But Gennai…" Taichi began to whine, a wholly foreign inflection in his voice. Agumon's eyes had rolled themselves, as if saying 'wimp.' Tai scowled; he wasn't a wimp; he was just…apprehensive. But he was furious at himself for being so scared of returning home. He was being a baby and for some reason he didn't want Yamato to see him like this. It would've been admitting defeat and humiliation, and he knew Yamato's eyes would hold nothing but contempt for him if he backed out of going back. He had to try it; he owed it to everyone he used to know, to himself and even to Gennai, and to show Yamato with his cold glare. "I-I'll go, for tonight anyway. For the others…"
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The digiport was open, rippling brightly. Taichi stood on the brink. He looked down at Agumon at his side and gave a nervous smile. "Ready?" The digimon nodded and held out his paw. Tai took it and a last look around, surveying the barren Digital landscape. He took a breath and stepped into the portal, leaving his home for his other one.
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Author's Notes: Originally this was a longer chapter, but it was too long and I don't have the time to fix up the rest. I'm going to try to really get the plot going, cause this fic's going to be a long one. Reviews help me work better, you know…=)